Hang on a Mo, Marko has a nose for Prem goals too

ONLY Mo Salah has more Premier League goals and assists this year than Marko Arnautovic.

The Reds’ Egypt international (right) has been directly involved in over 20 Liverpool goals.

But West Ham’s talisman lies behind him, having collected nine goals and seven assists, taking his total to 16.

That makes him a key man for new Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini – even if Arnautovic himself was unaware of the statistic until quizzed about it.

The big Austria hitman said: “I think I can hurt defenders – and it suits me to play up front.

“Our previous manager David Moyes got it into my mind to work hard, run as much as I can and things will happen from there. I think I did that. I think he was impressed with my stats.

“He said when he came in that I couldn’t run, that I wasn’t bothered. And the goals have proved I can run and I am working hard.

“And I don’t think I’m selfish, either. My old Stoke boss, Mark Hughes, said to me in training, ‘Any chance of you scoring some goals?’ “I said, ‘Gaffer, I don’t know what you are talking about. We won our last game and I set up a couple, so it doesn’t matter’. “He said, ‘It does matter. I want you to score goals. Don’t always look to the others – be selfish’. “But even now when I’m a striker if I see someone who is in a better position than me, I’ll pass. It’s not a problem.”